Head-pieces for protective clothing



Sept. 26, 1961 K. G. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,001,199

HEAD-PIECES FOR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Filed Sept. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p 1961 K. G. WILLIAMS ETAL 3,001,199

HEAD-PIECES FOR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Filed Sept. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F V g x \o a K V INYWYTOIQS WW5 MLWLM 3,001,199 HEAD-PIECES FOR PROTECTIVE (ILO'ITMG Kenneth G. Williams, Heath End, Farnham, and Leonard Fisher, Parley, England, assignors to Vickers Limited, Westminster, S. 1, England Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 759,363 8 Claims. (Cl. 2-6) The invention is concerned with protective clothing, more particularly (though not exclusively) clothing which is adapted to be pressurised for use in low atmospheric pressure conditions or analogous circumstances, such head-pieces being of the kind which are adapted to be opened and worn in a state of semi-readiness.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for closing and sealing the head-piece automatically in an emergency, and for this purpose the invention proposes that the head-piece shall incorporate a part-spherical or dome-like casing of flexible transparent material, which is attached to or forms an integral part of the neck portion of a pressure suit, the periphery of the casing being attached along its length to a flexible hoop of which the ends are anchored to two spaced stiflnuts which are mounted upon the opposite ends of a right-and-left hand threaded turn-buckle rotatably supported in bearings fixed to the suit, and a motor arranged, when energised, to rotate the turn-buckle in such fashion as to constrict the hoop by the approaching movements of the stifinuts on the turn-buckle threads, the arrangement being such that, the casing being open, the stiffness of the nuts will first cause the hoop to rotate bodily about the axis of the turn-buckle into a closed position, whereafter the hoop is constricted as aforesaid to seal the periphery of the casing about a suitably shaped joint-member.

Said joint-member may be either a semi-rigid grooved collar attached around the neck-line of the suit, or, where the head-piece incorporates also a stationary compo nent, a grooved rim at the periphery of the latter.

In order that the nature of the invention and the manner in which it may be carried into efiect may be more clearly understood reference is hereinafter made to the illustrations contained in the accompanying drawings of one form of head-piece, suitable for use in the circumstances previously referred to, incorporating a sealing means in accordance with the invention. In said drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the head-piece, depicting the closure member in the closed position (full lines) and in the open position (dotted lines). FIG. 2 is a view of the head-piece as seen in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 1). FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the head-piece; and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the electrical operating means.

The head-piece comprises a part-spherical closure member, indicated by the reference letter A, which is fabricated from a transparent flexible material of the requisite toughness, such as polyvinyl chloride, and the periphery of which is attached along its length to a flexible metal hoop B. The rear part of the closure member A, is. the part indicated at C (FIGS. 1 and 3), terminates in a semi-rigid collar D, which may be moulded polythene, fibre-glass or the like plastic material and which is attached to or formed integrally with the neck portion of the suit in conjunction with which the headpiece is worn.

Said collar D constitutes a joint-member with which the periphery of the closure member A will cooperate to seal the headpiece when the latter is closed. For this purpose the collar D is fashioned with an outwardly turned lip which forms a marginal groove E into which the head-pieces of the hoop B is adapted to be tightened in the manner hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the rear of the collar D is a small geared electric motor F, the shaft of which is extended in the form of a right-and-left hand threaded turn-buckle screw G, which is rotatably supported in bearings H, H [fixed to the collar. Carried by the screw G are two spaced stiflnuts J, I which incorporate flanges to which are respectively attached the ends of the hoop B. The arrangement is such that when the motor F is energised, the closure A being open, it rotates the turn-buckle screw G in the direction which will cause the hoop B to be rotated bodily (due to the stiffness of the nuts I, I) about the axis of the screw, swinging the dome A into the position shown in full lines (FIG. 1) in which the peripheral hoop B registers with the groove E of the collar D. When the closure A is arrested in this position, the stitfness of the nuts I, J is overcome and the continued rotation of the screw causes them to be approached together, constricting the ends of the hoop B and drawing the same tightly into the groove B so as to seal the joint between the closure A and the collar D.

The circuit of the motor F conveniently includes a pressure-sensitive switch K which, when closed in predetermined cirtical conditions, causes the motor to be energised to move the movable head-piece closure A to the closed position, a suitable limit switch L being provided, whereby the motor circuit is interrupted when the hoop B has been constricted to tighten and seal the joint between the closure A and the collar D.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a protective garment having an open neck the improvement comprising, a threaded member rotatably supported on the garment adjacent the open neck, a pair of threaded stiflnuts on said threaded member, said nuts being threaded to rotate with said threaded member until their rotation is restricted and being thereafter movable in opposite directions therealong, a flexible hoop having ends connected to respective stitfnuts, a casing of flexible transparent material attached to said hoop along a major portion of the periphery of said casing and adapted to completely enclose the head of the wearer, and means to rotate said threaded member to rotate said stitfnuts and to bring said hoop into alignment with the open neck of said garment, said hoop being thereafter constrained whereby the stifinuts move closer together to tighten said hoop.

2. A head-piece comprising a substantially cylindrical semi-rigid neckpiece having an annular groove defined on an outside face, a threaded member rotatably supported on said neck-piece adjacent said groove, a pair of threaded stiffnuts on said threaded member, said nuts being threaded to rotate with said threaded member until their rotation is restricted and thereafter being movable in opposite directions therealong, a flexible hoophaving ends connected to respective stitfnuts, a casing of flexible transparent material attached to said hoop along a major portion of its periphery and adapted to completely enclose the head of the wearer, and means to rotate said threaded member to rotate said stitfnuts and to bring said hoop into alignment with said groove, said hoop being constrained by said neckpiece whereby said stiiinuts move closer together to tighten said hoop and said casing to said neckpiece.

3. A head-piece according to claim 2, wherein said neckpiece is a separate semi-rigid grooved collar.

4. A head-piece according to claim 2, wherein said flexible hoop includes a length of material having terminal lugs connecting it to said stitfnuts.

5. A head-piece according to claim 2, wherein said 3 means to rotate said threaded member is a small electric motor.

6. A garment comprising, an open neck portion, a substantially dome-shaped casing member having peripheral edges adapted to extend completely around said open-neck portion and to completely enclose the head of the wearer and being hingedly connected to said garment at a location below said open neck portion, and motor means connected to said casing member to rotate said casing member on its hinge connection from an open position With the casing member uncovering the open neck to a closed position with its peripheral edge extending around theopen neck portion of said garment and means connected to said casing member to reduce the circumference of said peripheral edges upon further rotation of said motor to thereafter tighten said casing member about said neck portion.

7. A garment according to claim 6, wherein said 2 casing member includes a head covering portion of flexible transparent material and a hoop member connected along the periphery of said head covering portion.

8. A garment according to claim 6, including a collar extending around the opening neck portion of said garment having an annular groove defined in a side face extending around the neck portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,113,779 Williamson Apr. 12, 1938 2,394,078 Krupp Feb. 5, 1946 2,918,060 Lobelle Dec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 737,511 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1955 795,477 Great Britain May 21, 1958 

